Choctaws comeback against Tigers in game three

The University of West Alabama softball team traded with the Mississippi College Choctaws this past weekend, as the Tigers won both games on Saturday, Feb. 25 in a doubleheader, but lost to the Choctaws in the final game of the weekend on Sunday.

Saturday consisted of the Tigers taking a 7-to-4 victory in game one. In game two, the Tigers almost doubled their score with a 13-to-5 win over the Choctaws.

“In the short run, obviously winning, especially making the Gulf South Conference tournament is a successful season,” Head Coach Carie Dever-Boaz said. “But I think where we’re at in this program is getting better than they were last year. They had a pretty rough year last year, and we’re seeing individual improvement within each player.”

Game three on Sunday started with a grim foreshadowing for the Tigers when an illegal pitch allowed the Choctaws a second chance, resulting in the first run of the game. Ashley Stassin leveled the playing field in the bottom of the first inning after scoring for the Tigers on an error by the Choctaws.

In the top of the second inning, a triple to center field allowed the Choctaws two more runs, and an error by the Tigers resulted in the third run of the inning, bringing the score 1-to-4 in favor of the Choctaws.

The top of the third inning saw two errors by the Tigers and two singles for the Choctaws, widening the gap 1-to-9. The Tigers were able to push for the sixth inning when Audrey Diekmann scored on a Choctaw error in the bottom of the fifth.

The Choctaws secured the win in the top of the sixth when a double lead to two more runs, and the Tigers failed to even the 2-to-11 score.

“We review things we think we need to get better at, things that might need attention,” Dever-Boaz said in response to experiencing a loss. “I think we’re going to have to play really really well in the future and make sure we continue to take care of business. I don’t think that’s going to be an easy feat.”

UWA will be on the road, for a double-header, at Auburn Montgomery on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.